Dell U3011 Sleep Issues

[BigDaddyKong]

I have been having an odd issue with my U3011 when it tries to go to sleep at random times. As you can see from the vids below, the power button stays blue, instead of going amber, and the image shifts around. I can see parts of my desktop, in a darkened state in various parts of the screen. I am using Windows 8.1, with 3770K, Asus P8-Z77V Pro board. I have tried various AMD video drivers, Windows 8 instead of 8.1. I am connected by the Display port on my Gigabyte 7970Ghz video cards.

When this happens, I have no problem waking the computer up. As soon as I touch the mouse, it snaps back to a normal desktop ready for use.

I have tried balanced, and high performance settings in the power config.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Sorry for the annoying music, with a cold, and a camera 3 inches from my face, my recording did not sound pretty.






I just tried something new. When I was getting this corruption, I turned the monitor off and back on. When it turned back on, it went straight into sleep mode as it should have been when I turned it off.

I move the mouse, and it wakes right up.

Anyone have any other ideas?

 

[SPS]

Have you tried a factory reset?
Has it always done this?

 

[BigDaddyKong]

Yes, I did, with no luck.

No, this just started a month ago. The monitor is just over a year old, I had to RMA my previous monitor because the anti glare coating started coming off. Dell sent me this unit brand new.

 

[SPS]

And this happens due to Windows', "Turn off the display" after so much time idle feature?

 

[BigDaddyKong]

Yes, that is whats causing it.

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Update

I may have been wrong about sleep the only thing causing it. I was tinkering with my computer and took out some mismatched memory, thinking that may be causing it.

When I went to shut down, when the computer went off, but the last image of Windows shutting down stayed on the screen with the PC shut completely off. The monitor did not return to power saving mode after the PC was shut down.

This sounds more and more like a monitor problem.

 

[SPS]

It is starting to sound more and more like a faulty monitor. If you switch the monitor for another one and it does not reproduce the same problem I'd say the monitor is faulty..

 

[BigDaddyKong]

Unfortunately I don't have a second monitor right now.

What I worry about is with only about 1 or two months of warranty left, I will be getting a refurb for RMA. I seriously doubt they would send me the newer 3014 model.

One more test I need to run this week is to switch over from display port to a dvi cable and see if it still happens. More than likely the issue will persist.

If it does not, that will make me even sicker since my 7970ghz Gigabyte cards are definitely no longer being produced and guaranteed to be something used and abused by bitcoin miners .

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Just a quick update, I swapped my video cards around, and updated the bios on the second one to match the first one.

Using the display port is even worse when it goes to sleep, and now I get a flicker of corruption when on the desktop randomly now.

I removed and re-installed the drivers for the video cards to rule that out. Only one more test to try, the integrated mobo video.

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Good news, sort of. I used an 8.1 ISO and reformatted and re-installed, and my flickering is caused by Chrome. Everything else is fine on the DVI cable. IE has not flicker what so ever.

That's good because I called, and I am out of warranty on my monitor. And with flashing my other cards bios, my 3dmark scores have never been higher, 12863 on Firestrike with everything at stock settings.

 

[SPS]

Chrome was causing it to have sleep issues or just the flickering?

 

[SuB]

Chrome has this weird thing where it puts your gpu's into 'high performance' mode. It's been a bug for a few releases now, it might be that it's preventing your monitor from properly sleeping.

Sometimes chrome actually prevents my entire rig from shutting down.. royal pain in the ass..

You would figure with some of the best programmers around they could easily fix it...

 

[BigDaddyKong]

Flickering

The monitor sleep issue is totally with using display port, even when I rotated my cards around. It was even more pronounced with my bottom card on top. I get flickering with DVI, but no sleep issues.

This brings me to another conclusion. If manufactures want to limit the display outputs on video cards, say a mini display port and not a full size one, they would save RMA costs to include a 3 dollar adapter for full size to mini display port. I could test another cable much easier and without added expense of buying a new mini display cable to test it. Many would just RMA the card or cards to test the theory that its not the cable.

 

[BigDaddyKong]

Another update, I am getting flickering on IE also, its just not as prominent as Chrome. I guess my next step is to install Afterburner again and overclock the cards and see if its the cards clocks in 2d mode causing the problem.

I never notice anything in game. I also used the BIOS switch on my cards to go back to the previous bios, and I still had the same problem.

 

[SuB]

just check which 'mode' the cards are in, and if necessary make sure your power saving options are setup correctly both in windows and in the driver settings.

 

[BigDaddyKong]

I have had some success changing the power mode of Windows over to performance from balanced. I still get a stuck screen after the computer shuts off with a display cable, and the monitor does not turn off from Windows the way its supposed to but the corruption is decreasing, but not stopped.

I put in a support ticket question to Gigabyte two days ago, but have not heard anything yet.

 

[BigDaddyKong]

I found what could be the problem. I was working inside my case, and found one of the H100i retention screws were loose. I did not think and cranked it down. This screwed up my paste and screwed my temps up. Before I was 64C on P95 on stock settings, I am now 80C right off the bat. I also had a CFL switch above my graphics card. I moved that too.

After tightening down my pump, it started making a high pitch sound, but some of my issues subsided. I am curious if my mobo may have shifted too, or something is making contact where it shouldn't.

So I am going to totally tear down my system and put everything back together. I was going to order a 900D next week, so I would like to try and sort it out by then. I had to settle for some StarTech silver paste from my LCS. I know it will not be the greatest, but it will due to test with.

 

[BigDaddyKong]

A full tear down and rebuilt had yielded some results. It's only having issues about 1 out of 7 times it goes to sleep now.

I am starting to wonder if its my front panel on my case. It's been through hell with a house fire and many moves along with being used for a couple of systems now.

So, I guess to test this theory, I will order a new case next week. I might try a 900D this time. Then next month, its on to a AXi 1200 power supply. Those are my only two components left from when I had the fire.

 

[SPS]

How do you think the front panel is interfering? Disconnect it all and try it.

 

[BigDaddyKong]

Well, unfortunately it was not the front panel. I discovered something new today. I was looking in the monitor menu when it started. acting up. I looked at the monitor display info section under display settings. The resolution was listing things like P256x1600, and then when I backed out, and looked again, it might say 5750x1600. Many times just gobbledygook on the first number.

I started running Aida 64 setup on my G19 keyboard so I could look at display settings information and graphics card information. The resolution its showing does not change when the monitor goes into low power mode from Windows turning it off.